7 wickets, hat-trick: Chamari Athapaththu’s historic night lights up Women’s Asia Cup

ByTech Word News

Chamari Athapaththu produced a night to remember as Sri Lanka crushed Indonesia in their Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai on Wednesday, with the veteran all-rounder rewriting the record books with a stunning seven-wicket haul and a hat-trick.

Athapaththu was almost unplayable, tearing through the Indonesian batting line-up with figures of 3.3-0-5-7. Her spell combined control, aggression and remarkable efficiency to leave Indonesia unanswered as Sri Lanka sealed an impressive 75-run win.

Athapaththu repeatedly breached Indonesia’s defense en route to completing her five-wicket haul. She then went one step further and took three wickets in consecutive deliveries to become the first Sri Lankan cricketer to take a hat-trick in T20Is.

The performance was particularly significant for Athapaththa, one of the most recognizable names in women’s cricket. While she has developed a reputation as a devastating batsman and an influential leader, her bowling took center stage on this occasion and became the defining story of the match.

RECORDS CREATED BY ATHAPATHUTHU

Athapathth’s seven-wicket haul was not just a personal milestone. It ranked her performance among the greatest bowling spells in the history of women’s T20 internationals.

  • 1 – Chamari Athapaththu takes her first 5-wicket haul in her T20I career. Her previous best figures of 4-0-29-4 came against West Indies at Hambantota in 2024.
  • 1– Chamari Athapaththu became the first Sri Lankan woman to take a T20I hat-trick in women’s T20Is.
  • 1– Chamari Athapaththu recorded the best bowling figures by a bowler from a full-fledged nation in women’s T20Is.
  • 3.3-0-5-7 – Chamari Athapaththu recorded the fifth best bowling figure in women’s T20Is. Brazil’s Laura Cardoso holds the record with figures of 3-2-4-9 against Lesotho in early April this year.
  • 3.3-0-5-7: Chamari Athapaththu recorded the best bowling figures ever recorded in the Women’s Asia Cup. The previous record was held by Thailand’s Wongpaka Liengprasert, who had figures of 4-0-12-5 against Sri Lanka in Kuala Lumpur in 2018.
  • 3.3-0-5-7: Chamari Athapaththu has scored the best figures by a Sri Lankan in all T20Is. In 2012, he broke Ajantha Mendis’ record of 4-2-8-6 against Zimbabwe.

WRECK OF SRI LANKA INDONESIA

The emphatic win gave Sri Lanka a big boost in their campaign. Posting 124/7, they defended the total with remarkable ease, dismissing Indonesia for just 49 to complete the win.
Batting first, Sri Lanka found themselves in deep trouble after being reduced to 62/6 in 12.3 overs. However, a gutsy 50 off 35 balls from Nilakshika Silva, who added 50 runs in partnership with Kawya Kavindi, helped Sri Lanka recover and cross the 120-run mark.

From there, the bowlers took charge and never let Indonesia back into the contest. Sugandika Kumari was highly economical, returning figures of 3-1-3-1, while Kawya Kavindi and Kavisha Dilhari also claimed a wicket.

But there was no doubt about the star of the night.

Athapaththu’s seven wickets turned what was an ordinary batting into a comprehensive victory for Sri Lanka. Her spell not only secured the points but also created a piece of history and the hat-trick added another milestone to an already extraordinary career.

With the win, Sri Lanka cemented their position at the top of the table with four points and a net rate of +4.129. They will look to continue their unbeaten run when they take on Nigar Sultana Jota’s Bangladesh on September 6.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

03 Sep 2026 11:04 IST